Car-coupling



(No Model.) i

- J..J. BILLINGSLEY.

GAB. GOUPLING.

No. 372,111I Patented Got. 25, 1887.

" NrTED STATES Erica.

PATENT CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 372,111, dated @ctobcr25, 1887.

Application Bled January 2Q, 187. Serial No. 225,136. (No model.)l

hereby declare the following to bea full, clear,

and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the saine.

My invention relates to carcouplings; and it consists in the parts whichwill be hereinafter described, and pointedout in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a central longitudinalsectional View of two draw-heads coupled, constructed in accordance withmy invention. Fig. 2 isa front view looking into the jaws of onedraw-head. In this view the front pin is shown raised. Fig. 3 is aperspective of the lower pivotal yjaw detached, and Fig. 4 is aperspective view of a weight having one of the rear pins securedthereto.

Like letters indicate like parts in the several views.

The principal objects of my invention are to y construct a devicecapable ofcoupling automaticall y, and of automatically uncoupling whenthe cars are driven together by excessive force, such as would occur inan accident.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the letter A designates one ofthe draw-heads, B a link, and C one of the front pins.

The draw-liead A is provided with a linkrecess, A', and the top andbottom openings, a a', for the receptionv of the couplingpin C. Theupper opening, a, has vits outer orifice enlarged, the front wall beingrounded Ifrom below outward. a2 is a transverse notch or recess in therear of the opening a and communicating therewith.

D is a short pin provided with a weight, d2. This weight is extended,preferably lengthwise, through a vertical longitudinal slot, d, made inthe draw-head. Said longitudinal slot is preferably made of small width,so as not to weaken the drawhead. It may be a foot in length, it'necessary. It is located in the rear ofthe opening a, and it issutciently large to receive the pin D and its weight.

d is an openingin the under side of the draw-head for the reception ofthe lower 4end of the pin D. Said pin passes through the link andretains the same in the draw-head. The object of the weight is to holdthe pin D and link in position. The weight rests upon the inner top sideof the link, and thereby serves to hold said link in a horizontalposition. The weight is preferably fixed to the pin, although it may notbe so.

E is a longitudinal opening in the drawl head. This opening is providedwith a coiled spiral spring, e. The outer end of this spring bearsagainst the movable block e. This block is provided with a-shank whichextends rearward and' lies partly in the spring. The rear end of thelink rests against the outer recessed end of said block. TheV tendencyof the block and spring is to force the link outward. The link and blockmay be forced back into the longitudinal recess E, thereby compressingthe spring.

e" is a concave recess immediately under the opening d. This recesspermits a free vertical movement of the inner end of the link.

F is a central projection on the under side of the upperjaw. Thisprojection extends inward and tapers downward. It extends to a pointbelow the end of the pin C when the latter is raised. The inner lend ofSaid projection lies between the two parallel sides of the link andserves to retain said link in a straight line with the draw-head. Thefront vertical face of said projection prevents the overriding link fromentering the opposite draw-head.

Gr is a swinging dog provided with a short horizont-al slot, g. The dogis pivotally se cured in the recess o by the pin g', which passesthrough the slot g. The lower end of the dog swings in a concave recess,g2. g3 and g* are shoulders on the front side ot' the dog. The shoulderg receives the point 'of the pin and vsupports the same in a verticalposition, while the shoulder g4 support-s the point of the pin when thelatter is inclined forward.

I-I is a plate-spring havingits upper end secured within thelink-recess,with its free end pressing against the rear side of the dog,whereby the latter is forced outward, so that the lower end of the salueimpinges against the front shoulder of the concave recess g2.

The lower jaw of the draw-head is made in `two parts-an inner part, I,deeply recessed centrally from top to bottom', and an outer IOO part,l', having a shank, ,which is secured in the recess in the part l. Saidshank is secured in the recess by pivotal bolt t" and the pin i2. Thepivotal action of the jaw l will be hereinafter specified.

The outerends ofthelinks are wedge-shaped, so that one will override theother when the two draw-heads are brought together. Neither linkdisengages from its pin D in the drawhead; but when the drawheads cometogether the wedged end of one link underrides the other and, beingdepressed thereby, enters the opposite draw-head. rlhe link in enteringstrikes the lower outer end of the dog and forces the latter backward,thereby permitting one coupling-pin, C, to fall, so that its lower endshall engage the opening a in the lower jaw. The end of the other(upper)link, striking against the upper side of the outer end of the opposingdraw-head, is driven backward on its spring e. The inner end of saidlink and block c' are forced into the recess E. It will be observed thatonly one pin falls in coupling. rlhe front end of each draw-head ismadevertically straight at K, so that the upper or overriding link, whichdoes not couple, may be prevented from entering the jaws of the opposingdraw-head, as shown in Fig. l. y

\Vhen the cars are standing coupled together, the dog being swung inwardby the link, the couplingpin C maybe lifted and inclined forward, withits point resting on the shoulder g4 of the dog. The cars are nowuncoupled, and when moved apart and the link drawn out from the drawheadthe spring H will force the dog outward and the shoulder g* will forcethe pin C into a vertical position, so that iis end will fall upon theshoulder g3 and the pin will be in a position to again couple. i

Should the draw-heads be violently forced together by an accident, thepins i2, which retain the pivotal jaws I', will be broken by the impactof the draw -heads. Said jaws will thereby turn downward on theirpivotal bolts z" and disengage the lower ends of the coupling-pins Cfrom the openings a in said jaws, so that should one of the ears turnover the link thereof will be forced downward and disengaged from thecorresponding eouplingpin and uncouple the falling car.

rI'he horizontal slotg in the dog permits said dog to be forced backwardhorizontally at first by the enteringlink, so as to more quickly releasethe coupling-pin, the point ot' said pin prior to the entry ot' the linkbeing mounted on the shoulder g:s of the dog. W`hen so mounted, the pinis in a vertical position. rlhe instant the dog is forced back by theentering link the pin C drops and its lower end engages the opening ainthe lowerjaw, thereby engaging and retaining the link.

Having thus described my invention, I claim v as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent-- 1. A car-coupling having an opening in itstop and a lower jaw having an opening normallyin alignment with said topopening, and a coupling pin for engaging said openings, said lower jawbeing secured by a retainingpin and a pivotal bolt, whereby when twodraw-heads are forcibly driven together, as by an accident, theretaining-pin will be broken and the jaw turned downward on its pivotalbolt and the lowerend of the coupling-pin disengaged from the lower jaw,substantially as specilied.

2. The combination of a car-coupler provided with a longitudinal recessin its shank, a spiral spring in said recess, a link, and a pin forretaining the link, said recess being adapted to receive the link,whereby the link may be wholly forced into the draw-head and forced outwhen released by the action of the spring, substantially as specilied.

3. A draw-head provided with the projection Fon its upper under side,said piece having a vertical front face, substantially as described.

4. A draw head provided with the projection F on its upper under side,said piece having a vertical front face, said d rawhead being alsoprovided with a link secured therein, the outer end of said link beingwedge shape, substantially as specified.

5. In a'carcoupler, the combination, with the recessed drawhead, of thenotched pivoted spriugactuated dog and the pin C, substantially asdescribed.

6. In a ear-eoupler, the combination, with the recessed draw-head havingcouplingpin openings in its upper and lower jaws, the up per openingbeing inclined forward on the outer side, of a pin for engaging saidopenings, and a swinging spring-actuated dog having its upper endpivoted within the jaws and provided on its front side with shoulders ornotches for retaining the pin aforesaid in an elevated position,substantially as described, and for the purposes set forth.

7. A draw-head provided in its top side with a large opening adapted toreceive a pin and a weight, also provided in its under side with anopening for the reception of the lower end of said pin, in combinationwith a" link and a pin provided on its upper side with a weight securedthereto, the said pin being engaged in the openings aforesaid andretaining the link, the weight resting on the upper side of the link,whereby said link is retained in a horizontal position, substantially asspecified.

8. A draw head provided with recessed jaws for ,the reception of links,and a concave recess, e, in the shank, also provided with top and bottomopenings, d tl, in combination with a link and the pin D, having theweight di, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof l affix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

JAMES J. BILLINGSLEY.

fitnessesz H. A. BARNEs, J. W.

ICO

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